new here and to handgun hunting. in your opinion if you could choose one revolver for hunting which make would it be? S&W,Ruger SRH,or taurus RB? i have the cal. narrowed to 44 cal. but need some info on which make i should buy. good and bad point of all makes i would like to hear about,,, thanks

Smiths and Rugers are fine, but I have not tried the newer Taurus guns.

Because of how the recoil shoulder pounds the web of my hand, I do not like DA revolvers in calibers that kick much, though the Super Redhawk is not quite so bad. But for light to moderate loads, nothing beats an old-style six-inch S&W M-29 right out of the box. The trigger and sights are near perfect, and you can conceal it if you must. It’s a good rig for deer and general handgunning.

For hotter loads I prefer a Ruger Bisley. It’s heavier, and the grip is shaped very well to handle recoil. Most custom makers will not build 475 and 500 Linebaugh revolvers on anything but a Bisley for this reason. All Rugers need trigger jobs, and I add the neutral spin or freewheel modification so the cylinder turns both ways. This is a huge help in loading and unloading.

But in a 44, just shoot them all and get the one that you like best.

But before you do, go to John Linebaugh’s website and read everything he has written under Gun Notes. He’s not much on the 44, being a big 45 caliber guy, but the hunting loads he uses are a real eye-opener. They’re much lighter than you’d think.

Hope this helps, Okie John.

I would go with a Super Blackhawk, a Bisley or a Redhawk. I love my Smiths, but I think a steady diet of heavy loads like hot 300 gr bullets would be tough on them. That's why I have a Bisley .44 mag....

Any thing Ruger in single or double action will suit you just fine.

Need to get with someone and shoot them both and then make your decision.

Don't discount the 45 Colt for hunting!

I would definitely go with a Smith over a Ruger. Isn't Tarus made in brazil or somewhere? That's a no for me too. Definitely a S&W, or a Contender.

I would also recomend that you give second consideration to your caliber. Take a closer look at the 41 Mag. The ballistics are not that much different from a 44 and it is far easier to handle and shoot. less recoil and blast.

Well i would buy the ruger redhawk myself in 44mag i like my redhawk's better then my blackhawks and i use garretts 330 supercast while bear hunting and they give a warning to ONLY USE IN RUGER OR DAN WESSON DOUBLE ACTIONS

I'd go with a Ruger.

Redhawks are fine, but triggers are generally poor and are tricky to improve. I've had a few (and still have one) in 44 and 45, but I prefer other ruger revolvers for hunting.

The SRH tends to have much better (SA) trigger, at least in my experience.

If you want a single action, go with a Bisley. You can do the "poor mans" trigger job on that (which is free) and usually produces a very acceptable trigger. The gripframe make recoil management easy.

I, myself, prefer a scope. I like the SRH in 454 and 480 with a 2x for close hunting and a 4x for more open hunting. A simple Hogue grips improves their looks and helps manage recoil (in my oopinion).

Another good one is the Ruger Bisley Hunter in 44 mag (this is a SS single action) with rings and heavy barrel. Nice. I've had two in 44 and I currently have one in 41 - all were/are excellent shooters.

If Ruger would make a .45colt Bisley hunter, that would be the perfect pistol for those of us who can't afford a FA. The .44mag Bisely hunter is a good choice, even comes w/ scope rings when/if you decide to go that route.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mstake:
new here and to handgun hunting. in your opinion if you could choose one revolver for hunting which make would it be? S&W,Ruger SRH,or taurus RB? i have the cal. narrowed to 44 cal. but need some info on which make i should buy. good and bad point of all makes i would like to hear about,,, thanks

---

I guess I would have to ask what are you going to hunt with it, how long a barrel do you want, are you going to want a scope and under what conditions do you hunt? My personal favorite is a Freedom Arms M83 in .41 Magnum with a 6" barrel. The same gun in .44 Magnum would provide a lifetime of very accurate shooting.

Bob

Before you decide you must look at the NEW Ruger super blackhawk hunter with the Bisley frame. This frame makes recoil easier to control then the Standard blackhawk frame. I use the super blackhawk with a 4 5/8 " and i tamed it two ways first i had it magna-ported and then i put on a pair of packmyr decellerator grips. Its a pleasure to shoot.

fredj338

Ruger has had a limited run 45 Colt Bisley Hunters commissioned by some distributor. Same thing as the 5 1/2" stainless Bisley--harder than hell to find.

What about a Dan Wesson, you can have different barrel lengths. For myself I like shooting the Dan Wesson over the single action Rugers. Nothing against Rugers, it's probably that I cann't shoot a single action.

My vote,Ruger Blackhawk in 44 mag.

I have had to much bad luck with newer Smith & Wesson handguns they don't seem to be able to get all of the cylinder holes to line up with the barrel, this makes some of them spit a lot of lead. I had mine checked out by a gun smith and he advised me to send it back to the factory.

I like the Dan Wesson but they had a lot of Quality Control issues in the past. The new ones are probably better but cost more than my budget allows.

I have a Taurus 454 but it is sloppy for lock up. I would recommend a Ruger, I have never had any problem with them. I am planning on getting a Bisley hunter in 44mag.

I've had the contender. Now just have 3 Ruger .44s. Usually get one or two deer a year with em here in Misipe.

It depends on what you want to do, but if I could only own one handgun to hunt with it would be my FA model 97 in 41 mag. It's lighter than a steel frame S&W or Ruger at 38 oz. (read nice to carry all day), it is very accurate, and the recoil still feels less than my steel frame 44 S&W. For me it's the perfect package. I realize it's not a S&W, Ruger, or Taurus, but I picked mine up used for about $100 more than what I paid for a new S&W 44 mag PC gun. Out of the above three makers my preference is the S&W.

Try and get your hands on as many handguns as you can to shoot. If you're going to still hunt, pick the one that you like shooting the best. If you'll be doing a lot of walking take the ones you like to shoot and carry em on your hip all day while your doing chores around the house, or go for a hike, etc. To me being able to carry it comfortably all day is as important as being able to shoot it well. My two cents worth.

Sorry, you just can't do it.
It's just not natural to only have one gun.
You will need a big bore gun, 44,45, 475?
And then it is always nice to have a 357 peashooter hanging around. A must have is a 22lr of some sorts.
So a bare minimum of 3 handguns might get you buy until you need to get another one.

My experience says 44 mag. I have a Ruger Super Black with a 4&5/8 inch barrel that is a "carry it all the time gun for bear and what ever shows up when my rifle in out of reach. I also have a Ruger Super Black Hawk "Hunter", one of the first of the new production run for handgun hunting. if you are interested in a purely hunting gun I'd suggest a Ruger Super Black Hawk Hunter, Bisley grip or put a set of Hogues on a standard grip.

My experience is 1 bull moose, a couple of cow elk, several whitetail does and a buck, a few wild boar and 2 black bear.

My loads: 305 grain LBTWFN hard-cast for the big stuff over 21 grains of WW296.(Complete penitration on a bull moose at 75 yards for 2 rounds, third round recovered after it broke both shoulders at 20 yards.) 240 Hornady XTP over 24 grains of WW296.(This load shots into 6 inches or much less at 100 yards with a 2X scope and a good rest. Pure death on deer out to 100 yards.)
My I also suggest that you get a very good laser range finder, you will be very happy you did.

Never owned a 44 mag revolver but I have owned/own 41 mag and 45 Colt Rugers for over 30 years. Ruger wins by spades IMHO. They handle heavy loads very well.

As a dedicated hunting revolver my Bisley Blackhawk in 45 Colt has met my needs over the years with everything from factory equivalents to 335 LBTs at 1200 fps. As my eyes grow less youthful I find myself wondering if the new Ruger Hunter with the Bisley gripframe wouldn't make a more flexible choice, granting as it does the option to conveniently add a scope or electronic sight when needed. While I'd like the Hunter better in 45 Colt (and even more as a five shot 480) I've killed game with both the 44 magnum and the 45 Colt but find little difference between them. Good hunting! MB

I assume you are talking only big game (Deer size) here.
I have a S&W Mod 29 that has a 10" bbl with sights designed for metal silhouette shooting. It has four blades in a rotating base to allow sighting at four different ranges. I know it can hit deer size game from 200 meters since I can reularly hit ram targets at that range. The problem is, terminal balistics at that range are really marginal. I oftenhear a "clang" as the bullet hits the ram and the target stays standing (and I am pushing that bullet HARD). My Contender in 35 Rem doesn't do that, so that's my long range hunting handgun. (I consider long range to be no more tham 100 yd with a handgun! I wont take a chance on having a wounded animal. If I don't have COMPLETE confidence in the shot, I won't take it!)
Problem is, if you've ever seen what kind of a mess even a 38 special makes of a squirrel or rabit, you know the 44 just ain't gonna do. For that, you really need a 22 LR.

I have a 357 and a 44.

looking to sell one to finance a rifle. I have not hunted Alaska, but maybe someday. Is the 357 enough for a bear backup gun?

thanks

I have tried them ALL, and IMHO if you want a 44 Mag, the Taurus 44 Mag with 12 inch bbl...NOT the RB...is the best hunting 44 out there. The long tube duplicates 44 Mag velocities from a carbine, and it shoots 2 inch groups at 50 paces with iron sights. The trigger and ergonomics are great!

If you handload there is a lot going for the 480 ruger in a Taurus RB...the long 1.810 inch cylinder allows you to seat the big 400 grainers out to match the 475 Linebaugh and the 5 round cylinder and dual lock-up is the strongest one out there.

The load I use most in my RB with 6.5 inch bbl is quite mild and launches a 325 gr Speer at 1152 fps with only 10.7 grs of Titegroup. This makes well over 2X Major with a large diameter bullet that has a sectional density of .206. Reciol is light enough that you can shoot DA one round per second and still hit the bread basket at 25 yards. SA will hit the breadbasket from a rest at 100 yards.

This one is easy. How about a revolver that shoots 45 Colt and 454 Casull as reduced loads but can crank up the power for big game?

The Final Answer to Handgun Hunting

$bob$

Stock Ruger Bisley, .45LC is a great start. Lower initial cost and full spectrum of power for the non-reloader, cowboy loads to Buffalo Bore factory 325gr. lfnpb @1325. Trust me it will shoot smooth through any pig and any whitetail. Bisley is, to me, much more forgiving to shoot. Granted a trigger job it is first class short of a greater investment. It carries in a holster as a handgun is meant to be. ged

How about one of these .44mag SBH Bisley Hunter.

I have pretty much settled on the FA 454, ported, as my primary hunting revolver. Have a bandolier type holster rig that is comfortable to carry and easy to draw. I do like the single actions as they tend to roll versus push back. My second hunting revolver is the FA 475 Linebaugh

quote:

---

Originally posted by T/C Nut:
How about one of these .44mag SBH Bisley Hunter.

---

Good Group how far 100/200/300yrds?
I have been wanting one of those Bisley Hunter pistols now to convince the wife I need one

I've had three Bisley Hunters (2 in 44 and 1 in 41) and all would shoot a cylinder-full into 3" at 100 yds using a 2x scope with good loads and a good rest. Not eye-popping, but good enough for anything I'll ever hunt with them.

Anyone here scoped a standard Ruger Bisley in 45 colt? What kind of accuracy are you getting?

A lot of very good answers. I prefer the Rugers myself. The important thing is to use a large meplat, heavy boolit like the 320 gr. LBT WFNGC or the Lee 310 gr. and load for accuracy, not speed. Linebaugh is correct in that boolit shape and penetration is more important then power. A deer will not know the difference if hit with one at 1000 or 1400 fps. Go for tight groups and this type boolit is capable of 1" groups at 50 to 75 yd's. I have fun shooting pop cans at 100 yd's either from Creedmore of from sandbags.